Multi-Family Waste Services - Apartments & HOAs | CalStar

Multi-Family Expertise

Serving property managers, HOA boards, and building owners since 1984.

Multi-family properties have unique challenges that a standard commercial hauler can't easily handle: dozens of residents, three or more waste streams, mandated recycling programs, bulky item coordination, and a compliance requirement that falls on the property owner - not the tenant.

CalStar's multi-family program is built around these realities. We work with property managers, HOA boards, and on-site maintenance teams to design a service configuration that keeps the building clean, residents happy, and your CalRecycle compliance record spotless.

What every multi-family account includes

Trash, recycling, and organics containers sized for your building
SB 1383-compliant organics collection - fully documented
Scheduled bulky item pickup days for residents
Monthly diversion reports for owner and HOA records
Multilingual resident signage (English & Spanish) provided
Move-in / move-out bin guides available for resident packets
Dedicated account rep - call directly, not a call center
Net-30 billing with stream-level detail
Emergency overflow service - same-day response

California Law

SB 1383 compliance is your legal responsibility as the property owner.

California's SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction law became enforceable on January 1, 2022. For multi-family properties with 5 or more units, compliance is mandatory - and the obligation rests with the building owner or HOA, not individual residents.

Citations can reach $10,000 per day for repeated non-compliance. With CalStar, your building is fully covered.

Organics Collection Required

All 5+ unit properties must subscribe to organic waste collection covering food scraps, food-soiled paper, and green waste.

Recycling Service Required

You must provide and maintain accessible recycling containers for all residents, properly labeled and serviced.

Owner Documentation

Property owners must maintain records of service subscriptions, education provided to tenants, and diversion achievements.

Penalty Exposure

Local issue compliance orders and fines. First-time infractions typically result in a 60-day correction window; repeat violations trigger fines.

CalStar handles all of it.

We provide compliant service, monthly documentation, and resident education materials - so you can demonstrate full compliance at any audit.

By Property Size

Service configurations by building scale.

Every building is different. These configurations represent typical starting points - your CalStar rep will tailor the setup to your unit count, resident profile, and alley or bin room layout.

Small Buildings - 5–15 Units

Simple, right-sized setup

Container: 2–3 yd trash, 2 yd recycling, 32-gal organics cart per unit or shared 2 yd organics
Pickup: 2x/week trash, 1x/week recycling and organics
Recycling program: Single-stream with labeled 2 yd container
Bulky item: Monthly scheduled pickup day, up to 3 items per unit per event

Typical monthly cost: competitive flat-rate with SB 1383 organics included.

MOST COMMON

Medium Buildings - 16–50 Units

Full multi-stream service

Container: 4–6 yd trash, 4 yd recycling, shared 4–6 yd organics bin in common area
Pickup: 3–5x/week trash, 2x/week recycling, 2–3x/week organics
Recycling program: Source-separated with designated enclosure bays
Bulky item: Bi-monthly scheduled events + on-call for excess

Includes resident signage kit, door-hanger rollout, and monthly diversion report.

Large Buildings - 50+ Units

Enterprise-level property programs

Container: Compactor or multiple 6–10 yd bins, dedicated recycling and organics bays
Pickup: Daily or as needed; route optimized per wing or trash chute zone
Recycling program: Full source-separation with per-floor collection available
Bulky item: Dedicated monthly event + on-demand service; move-in/out coordination

Dedicated account manager, quarterly service review, and custom resident education program.

Bulky Item Service

Bulky item pickup - a resident satisfaction essential.

Bulky items left in stairwells, hallways, or dumpster enclosures are the number-one source of resident complaints at multi-family properties - and a code violation waiting to happen. A reliable bulky item program solves this before it starts.

What counts as a bulky item?

Sofas & couches

Mattresses

Box springs

Dressers & wardrobes

Bed frames

Dining tables & chairs

Desks

Exercise equipment

Large rugs & carpet rolls

Appliances (non-hazardous)

TVs & monitors

Bicycles

Scheduling

Residents schedule via property manager or directly through CalStar's resident line. Pickup windows are communicated in advance.

Limits

Standard programs include 3–5 bulky items per unit per pickup event. Additional items can be added as a paid overflow option.

Getting Started

Setting up your property.

1

Property walkthrough

A CalStar multi-family rep visits your property, inspects the bin room or enclosure, counts the units, and reviews your current waste volume. We document everything needed to design a compliant program.

2

Program setup and container delivery

Containers are delivered and positioned, signage is installed in the bin room and common areas, and resident communication materials are handed off to your manager or HOA board. We handle the logistics - you brief residents.

3

Ongoing service and compliance reporting

Regular pickups run on schedule. Bulky item events are coordinated monthly. Your SB 1383 compliance report is delivered by the 5th of each month - with diversion totals documented and ready for any CalRecycle audit.

Resident Communication

We give you everything your residents need to sort right.

SB 1383 requires that tenants be informed annually about proper sorting. CalStar's resident communication kit checks that box - and makes your building run smoother in the process. Contaminated organics bins are a compliance and odor problem; proper signage prevents both.

All materials are ready to distribute the day service starts. Additional print runs are available at no cost when tenant turnover creates new distribution needs.

Multilingual Bin Room Signage

Laminated English/Spanish signs for each container - what goes in, what doesn't, and what happens if it's contaminated.

Move-In / Move-Out Bin Guide

A single-page guide added to your resident welcome packet explaining the property's three-stream program. Reduces first-month confusion significantly.

Recycling Rollout Door-Hanger

Used when a new program launches or a container changes. Delivered to every unit door with clear instructions and a FAQ.

Bulky Item Reminder Card

Posted in common areas 72 hours before a scheduled bulky item pickup event. Includes what to put out, where to stage it, and the cutoff time.

Common Questions

Multi-family service FAQ.

Does SB 1383 apply to my property if I have fewer than 5 units?▼

Properties with fewer than 5 units are not subject to mandatory commercial organics requirements under SB 1383. However, AB 341's mandatory recycling requirement applies to all multi-family properties with 5 or more units generating 4+ cubic yards of waste per week. For properties under 5 units, voluntary recycling programs are available and often result in cost savings by reducing trash volumes.

What happens if a resident contaminates the organics bin?▼

Contamination is measured on a per-load basis. CalStar's drivers flag containers with visible contamination on pickup - we photograph and document it. On first occurrences, your account rep reaches out with a correction notice template you can post or deliver to tenants. Repeated contamination that causes the load to be rejected results in that load being billed as general waste. Our signage program is specifically designed to reduce contamination before it becomes a recurring issue.

Can CalStar handle bulky item pickup for move-outs?▼

Yes, and this is one of the most valuable add-ons for properties with high turnover. CalStar can schedule dedicated move-out cleanout pickups that cover furniture, appliances, and bulk debris left by departing tenants - billed per event or included in larger multi-family contracts. Talk to your rep about adding move-out coordination to your program.

Do you handle mixed-use buildings that have ground-floor commercial tenants?▼

Yes. CalStar regularly serves mixed-use buildings where the lower floors have retail or restaurant tenants and upper floors are residential. We design a single coordinated waste program with the appropriate container configuration for each type of use - commercial front-load and residential multi-stream often share the same enclosure with separate bays.

What does the monthly diversion report look like?▼

Your monthly report includes a summary of all pickups by stream (trash, recycling, organics), total tons by stream, your diversion percentage, and a cumulative year-to-date total. It's formatted to be dropped directly into a CalRecycle compliance binder or HOA board packet. Reports are delivered digitally by the 5th of each month. Printed reports available on request.

Compliant waste programs for every building, every tenant.